


Have We Met?

by Vmwrites



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: M/M, hanbrough are in their 20's, kinda melancholy ya know?, mike actually left derry in this one too, post-Derry, they don't remember eachother, they forgot everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 03:03:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21469024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vmwrites/pseuds/Vmwrites
Summary: When you and someone who you've never met recognize each other.
Relationships: Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon
Kudos: 32





	Have We Met?

** Friday, November 15, 1998. 9:45 pm. Los Angelas, California  **

Bill Denbrough raced through the busy bar floor to serve the drunk and hungry patrons. 

The music of the live band blared through the speakers and shook the floor, and people danced in the tiny area between the band and high tables.

"Bill!" his boss called over the loud music, slapping a hand on his shoulder, "Favour, buddy!"

The hard hit to his shoulder almost sent the tray in his hands crashing onto the floor and he couldn't help but roll his eyes out of his boss' view before turning his head to him slightly,

"Sure, what can I do?!"

"Go wait that table over there!" he yelled, motioning over to the table in the dining area of the bar in front of the band, "The new girl can't cover all that!"

Bill sent a quick glance over to the table he was to host for. There sat a young crowd of 3, consisting of 2 women and 1 man. He went to look away before quickly turning back and doing a double-take. One of the people at the table was a dark-skinned, well dressed, and  _ god,  _ well-built man that Bill could have sworn he's seen before. 

"So you gonna do it, or what?!' his boss called over the music.

"Yeah...yeah. Yeah, I got it!"

"Good! Now hurry up!"

Bill rushed to the back kitchen, placing the tray of dirty beer glasses by the sink for the dishwasher to work on. Adjusting himself to look presentable to serve and not just deal with the drunkards on the bar side, he made his way over to the table where the familiar man and his not-so-familiar friends sat.

Putting some menus out in front of them, Bill proceeded to introduce himself, even though he didn't feel as if he had to, at least not to the man sat at the table. 

"Good evening, everyone, I'm Bill I'm gonna be your server tonight, can I start you off with any drinks?"

He noticed that the familiar man was staring back at him, before reverting his gaze to the girl at his table who took charge of the ordering.

"We'll just start with a pint, for now, please," she said with a smile.

Bill smiled back, nodding, and then headed over to the bar to put their drink order in. He felt  _ off. _ He couldn't quite shake off the feeling that he knew that man and it was absolutely killing him that he couldn't seem to figure out how. 

"You okay Denbrough?" the cheerful bartender asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," he said trying to shrug it off before taking the pint he filled for him and making his way back over to their table. 

At the front of the bar located directly between the dining and bar areas, the lead singer of the band spoke up into the mic. She was an older lady with long blond hair, high boots, and a raspy voice and every other weekend her and the men behind her rocked the whole place. Bill never paid much attention to them, but tonight, for this very reason, he was thankful that they were there.

"Have we got any birthdays in the house tonight?" she slurred into the microphone.

The table he was heading to erupted in noise. The girls yelling and pointing to the familiar man as he laughed and covered his face with his hands.

She spoke into the mic after meeting eyes with them, "And what's your name baby?"

They all called out, laughing, "Mike!"

"And how old you turnin' Mike?"

The girls seemed to be answering for him, "22!"

"Well happy birthday, Mike! The trashy 20's. This one's for you!"

With that, the opening chord's to the Violet Femmes, Blister in the Sun, filled the room with sound and everyone around cheered and danced, including the man at the table- _ Mike _ \- who clapped and smiled radiantly. 

_ Mike. Do I know that name? _

He placed the pint on their table carefully, stealing subtle glasses at the man he now knew as Mike to see if he can find any sort of correlation to his life in him. 

Mike flashed him a smile and a nod before reverting his attention back to the band and dancing in his seat to the song playing.

_ When I'm out walking I strut my stuff _

_ and I'm so strung out _

_ I'm high as a kite I just might _

_ stop to check you out _

Bill wasn't a mind reader, but he was certainly used to customer interactions and even the shyest, rudest, most unsociable of customers interacted directly with him. This seemed to Bill as if this Mike character was avoiding looking at him. 

_ Did we hook up or something? _ , he thought, but then,  _ no, I would have remembered a guy that hot.  _

"Do you guys still need some time with the menus or are you ready to order?" he asked politely, raising his voice over the music.

"We're still looking it over, we'll be ready soon." the girl next to him said with a smile. 

"Of course, I'll be back to check up on you," he said as he walked away. He was going crazy. He's had his fair share of hot customers who he's charmed and gotten large tips from, but this one was different. Never once in any of his part-time shifts has he wanted a specific customer to interact with him and he was growing increasingly frustrated with his overly-friendly female friend who seemed to take charge of the table. 

Why? He didn't know, but he decided he was going to make it a point to look directly at him every time he went over and he was going to get him to recognize him. He was sure they've met and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. 

Going back over a few songs later, Bill kept his gaze pointed to Mike, addressing him more so than the others. 

"What can I get for you guys?"

Mike smiled at him, a bright beautiful smile that flooded Bill's head with non-existent memories and reminiscent feelings of something that once had been. Mike appeared to be studied him, squinting slightly as if he was quietly trying to find the answer to an existential question. Writing their order down as they said it, he could feel Mike's eyes still on him. Now he was happy. He was getting the attention he was after. 

He looked up from his pad of paper and flashed a quick smile to the table-more towards Mike, if anyone- and walked to the back to put the order in. 

Taking a quick breather before heading back out onto the floor, Bill stopped in the small corridor separating the kitchen from the packed service area. 

"Hey, Billy." A girl with tied back blonde hair stood in front of him in the corridor. 

"Hey, Queenie."

"Taking a little break?"

"Yeah, I'm a little frazzled tonight, to be honest."

"Really? That isn't like you."

"I know... there's just this customer that looks so damn familiar, but I can't seem to figure out who he is."

"Is it that one table you're serving out in dining?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, that guy keeps looking at you. Maybe he knows who you are."

"Really?"

"Yea- shit my orders are up. I'll catch you later." 

_ Huh _ , he thought,  _ so maybe we do know each other. _

Heading back out to tend to the bar area, he could see Mike and his 2 friends singing at their table along with the band from across the room. 

They were beaming as they sang, and the keyboardist was smiling back at them in amusement.

_ Jessie's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine. _

_ And she's watching him with those eyes.  _

Bill found himself so distracted over this Mike person. He did hear him say he was 22, so they were the same age, but he was sure that he's never met him since he had come to L.A and he was sure he didn't know him when he was back in Maine. But then again, he saw new people in LA everyday that he could barely remember between his writing and his job at the bar, and he could hardly remember a thing about life in Maine. 

Snapping him out of his thoughts, the buzzer on his waist went off and he headed to the kitchen to retrieve the table's order. He brought the food over to their table eagerly, but as he moved closer the table was empty and he noticed the 3 of them dancing nearby amongst a group of people. 

_ She's alright _

_ She's alright _

_ That girl's alright with me. _

He smiled and motioned them over as he placed the food on their table and they trotted back, giggling and still dancing. Feeling suddenly comfortable with them, he started to do his own little dance alongside them which received some laughs and pats on the back as they sat down.

Finally, Mike spoke, "Thank you."

"No problem, you guys let me know if you need anything else," he said as he headed back to tend to the bar-side. 

It wasn't as busy as it usually was for a Friday night, so Bill took advantage of the moment of silence when the rush cooled down and the band went on an intermission. 

He went over to Mike's table to make some small talk when he noticed them winding down themselves, finishing off their food and sitting quietly but comfortably. 

"You guys enjoying your night?" he asked them nicely. 

The girls, seeming a load drunker than Mike was, only giggled as they leaned on each other from the other side of the table and Mike took charge of the conversation for them.

"Yeah it's awesome, this is our second weekend here."

"Oh, were you guys here last Friday?"  _ Maybe this is why I remember him. _

"Oh, no, we were here the weekend before."  _ Nope, I was off last weekend.  _

Bill laughed, "Oh c'mon, that doesn't count. That's like me saying, 'oh yeah I was here 3 years ago on a Friday and this is my second one'. "

Mike returned the laughter, "Listen, we got busy."

Before Bill could help himself, he blurted out, "I know you."

Mike's face changed. He scrunched his features together in a surprised manner that confirmed Queenie's observation of him recognizing him back.

"I was thinking the same," Mike said, but he was unsure if he knew him or someone who looked like him, "Do you have a brother?"

_ That's a wound that didn't have to be re-opened.  _ Bill shook his head, "No no, it's me you know."

Mike seemed to be searching his face for a hint of memory, but couldn't seem to find it.

Bill spoke up again, "Are you from around here?'

"Not really, we've been backpacking around for the past year, only been sat here for a few months. We want to settle down in Florida."

_ Florida, now that rang a strange bell.  _

"Where are you from originally?"

"I lived in Maine as a kid."

"Maine? Hey, me too."

Mike's face appears to light up, as if he was coming to a sudden realization, "Derry?"

"Oh my god- yeah, Derry."

"Did you go to Derry elementary?"

"Oh-no I was homeschooled."

"Oh, what about high school?"

"I actually left before high school, had to get out of there."

"Oh," Bill said sadly, realizing he had to rule out the hometown possibility and now not knowing where else they could have met. "So... have we met, then?'

"I'm not sure...but I'm almost certain I've seen you before. Are you on TV? New actor or something?"

Bill laughed a bit, "No, on the different starving aspiring artist in LA wave, I'm a writer."

Mike smiled at him, "Oh, a writer. What did you say your name was? Bill? I'll definitely be looking out for that."

Bill smiled appreciatively before the girl slurred from her seat in front of him,

"Can we get the cheque please."

"Together or separate."

"Together."

"Of course." Bill shyly nodded to Mike before going off to get their cheque prepared. He was extremely disappointed coming to the realization that he's actually never met this man before, despite feeling like he once had. He was so sure of it.

He brought the cheque over to them placing it on the table. The girls proceeded to pull cash from their purses and place it on top of the cheque. 

"On us," one of them slurred, "For the birthday boy."

Bill smiled over at him, "Happy birthday."

He smiled back at him and Bill was almost ready to start pestering him with more questions about where they could have possibly met, but then Mike interrupted him, "Thank you."

His friends pushed the cheque towards him drunkenly, before pushing themselves out of their seats.

Mike followed suit nodding over to Bill with an expression on his face that said,  _ gotta babysit tonight. _

Bill smiled at him, with a look that was still unsure and curious, "Well...it was nice to meet you."

Mike paused for a moment, seeming to find the comment just as unnatural as Bill did, "Yeah...you too."

They walked out of the bar, Mike in the middle holding the 2 girls up on either side of him. 

Bill stood staring at the door as it closed behind them. He was beyond shaken at the encounter. 

He and someone who he's never met, seemed to know each other.

_ Maybe we'll meet again.  _

**Author's Note:**

> Oh Bill, you have no idea.
> 
> Hey guys. This is actually based off something that happened to me while out this weekend and I thought I'd give it a little Hanbrough twist. Enjoy!


End file.
